The Life of Koi Fish
by mylovelylions
Summary: Ko Houshakuji has never particularly gotten along with her sister. Most of the time she rarely even sees her. But when Renge takes off for some school in Japan named Ouran in the pursuit of her true love and fiance, Ko is livid. Now Ko has to travel across the world just to bring Renge back. And no undeniably attractive host is going to distract her.
1. Chapter 1

_a/n: Hey guys! So this is my first Ouran story and I gotta admit that I'm a bit nervous. I am planning on this being an OC/Kyoya story so just a heads up on that. It was really the wake up scene - gotta say. Those eyes were killer. Anyway! I hope that you guys like it and leave me a little review if you do please!_

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"RENGE! YOU THIEF! GET OUT HERE!" My fists slammed off of the thick, mahogany of my sister's door. Down the hall, the servants scurried past, their eyes wide as they hurried down the marble halls and staircases. I gritted my teeth, resorting to kicking at the stupid crack in the door.

"Who's there?" a voice sang and I gritted my teeth, slamming my fist into the door once more.

"The bloody gardener! You know exactly who it is, Renge! Get out here and face me!"

There was a moment of silence and I heard the rustle of blankets and clothing before there was a click and more rustling. Was the door unlocked this whole time? I growled kicking and clawing at the mahogany. She hadn't been out of this room for weeks - maybe even months for all I knew. That was, she hadn't been out except for her nightly trips to steal my pudding and other snacks like a raccoon.

"You can't stay in there forever! And when you come out, you better be willing to pay for this!"

"I don't know why you're so mad." She sounded so nonchalant about the whole thing. "We're rich enough that you can go and get as many as you want-"

"I WANTED THEM _NOW_!" I shrieked, going for the handle of the door as I futilely tried to get inside. Maybe I could scale up to her balcony. I frowned. That would take some extra equipment.

"STOP BEING A BRAT!"

I gasped. "STOP BEING A THIEVING LITTLE RODENT!"

"I'm gonna tell dad on you!" What a four-year-old. I smirked.

"You know he'll take my side. You've been holed up in there for so long that he probably won't even know who you are."

There was a moment of silence and then the sound of a game turning up. I growled under my breath, pressing my ear to the wood.

"RENGE!"

"Miss Houshakuji." Oh damn. My governess. Slowly, I turned to face the shrewd older woman, her eyes narrowed and her bun tight enough to pull back the skin of her forehead. Mrs. Mercier was honestly the most annoyingly diligent governess that I had ever had. Not only did she constantly articulate her disappointment in my manners but she also kept a strict ship in the organization of my daily life. Her smile turned thin as her eyes closed into a purely demonic expression. I winced. "Have you finished your school work already?"

I grumbled out a breath, shooting a glare towards my sister's door once more. Mrs. Mercier was speaking to me in French again. I hated speaking French. In fact, I hated speaking most languages except for my native Japanese. But my father and mother had moved us to Paris (with short trips all around the world) when we had been very little.

"Miss Houshakuji?" She was giving me that creepy smile again.

"I finished the school work." I had honestly gotten done with it hours ago but I rarely told her that the papers she was giving me were a couple grades below where I was at. Although I was starting to think that she suspected as much.

"Well than I guess it's time to look over some much neglected management issues that have popped up in a couple of the boutiques and cafes under your father, isn't it?"

That sounded absolutely dreadful.

"But-"

"Let's not dawdle, shall we, _mon chou_?" I hated it when she called me a cabbage.

"But - ow, ow, owowowow." Her nail bit through the top of my ear, her smile still firmly in place as she dragged me along the halls. She was the devil. Angrily, I looked back at my sister's door. "I don't care how long it takes, when you come out you're dead!"

"Ko!" Mrs. Mercier reprimanded and tears blurred my vision as she yanked at my ear. "Manners."

" _Je suis désolée_ ," I grumbled out, giving in to being hauled back to my study.

A few hours later that was exactly where I was. Still.

I stared down at the numbers on the paper. Either we were taking in too much in the Los Angeles branch or someone wasn't ordering in the right clothes and promoting them the way that they needed to be. Either way it would require a personal visit. I rubbed my eyes, taking off my glasses for a moment. I had been at these papers for nearly five hours now and wanted to leave.

Gloomily, my eyes turned to the double doors. I was sure Mercier was hovering out there - her stupid notebook open and penciling in all the different torture techniques that she would inflict on me next. She was the devil. Literally. Once she had accidentally touched a hot oven - not even a wince. Not so much as a groan. Answer? She was used to being burned. Conclusion? She had come up from the depths of hell to torment-

"KO!" I jerked back in my seat, blinking at my double doors as they went slamming into the walls on either side of them, scraping past the bookshelves that lined the entire room just by a hair to reveal my father. Although aging rather well for his age with deep burgundy hair and strong jaw. But in the past months a lot of the lines wrinkling his face had become more apparent. I looked down at my nails, suddenly feeling guilty.

My sister hadn't always been the most social of the family. Renge was smart and focus and her knowledge of cultures (particularly what different people would like) had advanced the business. But then she had started to get teased. No one really understood why she was so into the things that she was into. To be truthful, I didn't think that _she_ understood why other people liked what they liked either. And that led her back to the comforts of things that made her happy.

"It's terrible, dear! Absolutely awful!" I blinked, coming back to the situation at hand. My father was nearly in tears, his trench coat still on and cinched and his hands going to burrow through his hair. Behind him, my eyes connected with Mrs. Mercier who stood silent and patient just outside the door. "A COMPLETE TRAVESTY!"

Wincing, I gestured for Mercier to close the door and hurried around to my father with a handkerchief. "Can you please just tell me what this is all about, _daron_? Is it the business or-?"

His fingers wrapped around my bicep, his eyes connecting with mine. "Much worse than that, Ko. This could bring our entire family apart at the seams."

I grimaced, trying to pull it into a softer expression as I wormed my way out of his grip. My father always was prone to dramatics. It's where I assumed my sister got her... _flare_ from. When I had realized this, it was hard to put into words how overjoyed I was that I took after my mother. Sighing, I made my way over to the desk.

"Well then, I guess we'll need some tea and food." I pressed a button on the intercom and turned back to my father who was slopping away what he could as snot slithered down his face. Oh geez.l

"This isn't amusing, Ko," he snapped. "Your sister's run off to god knows where-"

"What?" My fists slammed down on the desk as shock ran through me. This was a lot worse than I had thought. Panicking, I picked up the phone. "Have you called the police? Mom? What about our business associates connected with-?"

"Well," he said thoughtfully and I paused. "I do know where she is. She's gone to Japan. Ouran High School, in fact."

Anger was the first emotion that ran through me along with a cold hard dose of irritation. Trying not to slam the phone down, I turned fully to glare at my father.

"You old bat," I snapped, heat rising into my cheeks as his eyes went wide. "What the hell do you think you're doing coming in here raving and wailing when she hasn't even run away?"

"Well, she's so willful. She just hopped on-"

" _You're_ private jet which _you_ control with the money that _you_ pay _your_ pilots and every other employee that's under _your_ umbrella?"

"You know her-" He started futilely.

"I do!" I screamed, throwing my hands up. "And that's why I know that she'll be back in a week. Renge can't living without that stupid dating sim that you got her."

I huffed, crossing my arms.

"This time is different, Ko." I glanced up. Something in his voice made me believe him. Slowly, I straightened. "She took one look at this picture and jumped up screaming about true love and marriage. I don't know what's gotten into her."

He handed me a small photograph. It looked relatively normal. Just an old guy with two younger men all dressed in suits. And then standing just behind them all in a blue uniform looking kind of like an unwanted runt shoved behind two german shepherds was…

I groaned, crinkling up the stupid thing. "Do you know what you've just done?"

"What?" He took the picture from me, looking over it critically. "What is it?"

"That one in the back looks exactly like the lead guy on her game thingie!" I snapped, jabbing a finger at him. "The one that she's been fawning over day and night!"

Of course he wouldn't know. He was never home enough to know. I looked away as a bitter taste filled my mouth. I didn't want to be angry - I shouldn't be angry. I let out a breath, sitting down.

"What do you want me to do about it?" I was getting a headache from this whole thing, honestly. "She's already flown off."

"I want you to go and get her, Ko!" I blinked, an absurd laugh bursting from my mouth before it went off into silence at my father's stare.

"...You're serious?"

"She's your sister."

I stared hard at him, trying to digest what he was telling me. "So you want me...your seventeen year old daughter to go to Japan and haul your fifteen year old daughter back to France… Today."

"Preferably."

"You're crazy."

His eyes went wide as he moved closer to me. Oh no. He was going into daddy mode. "This is your responsibility as the eldest daughter of this household."

"What about your responsibilities as father?" I regretted it immediately after I said it as I watched his lips tighten and him flinch back. It was a low blow. I gentled my tone. "Listen, we have family and associates in Japan - even in the Ouran area - I'm sure that -"

"I think that this will be good for you, Ko." What? I was shocked. My breath stalled in my throat as I slowly turned to stare up at him. His eyes had gone that stupid soft brown color that they got when he was feeling sentimental. "How long has it been since you took up any of the duties outside of this house? I know you're not happy with where you are."

I looked away, feeling angry that he had seen through me so easily.

"Think of it as a vacation, if you like." My mouth thinned but I didn't say anything. "Who knows? Maybe you'll even like it. But your sister… Just come back safely, you hear?"

I didn't say anything for a moment, thinking over my options. "Dammit."

My father gave a shrill cheer, clapping his hands in excitement as I stomped toward the doors, nearly colliding with the poor maid that was coming in with tea and pastries.

"I'll be back by May!" I called over my shoulder, calling over a maid.

"You're not leaving today?" I snapped around, anger bubbling up to sear my throat.

"Are you kidding me?" I hissed, my teeth baring in a sneer as I glared at his stunned face and my French muddled with my native Japanese as I got angrier. "Have you forgotten how much of the business you've handed over to me because you and mom want to 'discover' yourselves? I can't just pick up and leave."

I turned around as I saw Mrs. Mercier come up the stares, her eyes holding something that I had rarely seen. I looked away, gesturing for the maid to follow me. I didn't want her sympathy.

"Ko-" Dammit. There he went too.

"I don't have the same luxuries as Renge." It was out of me before I could stop it. I shook myself. "I'll be off in no more than a month."

* * *

 _Hey! Sooo how'd you like it? I am going to be using French since Renge and Ko obviously were raised mainly in Paris, France._

 _Mon chou: My cabbage. It's actually a term of endearment in France. My grandma used to call me this._

 _Je suis désolée: I'm sorry._

 _Daron: Father_


	2. Chapter 2

_a/n: I just wanted to pop in to say that I am absolutely love all of you! You gave me such great responses and I loved to see the favorites and follows. It motivated me so much to get this chapter out as soon as I could._

 _ **Sheepgirl418:** Thank you so much for saying that but don't put yourself down! I'm sure that your story would have been amazing._

 _ **Sora** : You were my first reviewer! Thank you so much. I'm glad that you like it and I hope I don't disappoint._

* * *

A month later, I was sitting in the back of a limo, seriously jetlagged and wanting a _calisson_.

"So this is Tamaki Suoh?" The picture in the file showed a rather handsome foreigner with violet eyes and blonde, almost white hair. I had been filtering through them since I had gotten off of my flight and so far the only interesting one seemed to be the legendary Kyoya Ootori. But this guy - this Tamaki - was not only the president of the Host Club that they were both in but also seemed to inch in front of Kyoya in all sporting events and activities that required leadership. Odd.

I yelped as Mrs. Mercier's hand came down on mine like a whip, leaving them smarting. "Not _Tamaki Suoh_ like you two are old middle school _ami_. René Tamaki Richard de Grantaine Suoh."

"So when I meet him I should use his entire name like some weirdo?" I hissed, glaring at her as she turned her gaze back to the files on her lap.

"No. But you need to know it."

I hated the fact that she was right. If you knew someone before you officially met them, you immediately had the upper hand. I glanced out the window as the limo came to a halt just in front of a sprawling campus. A long gravel walkway led into the depths lined with a series of trees and flowers. Even from this distance I could see the impressive buildings that were a soft pink and lined with wide windows that let in the light.

"It's very clean," I stated as Mrs. Mercier got out and held the door open for me.

"Here's the floor plans, Miss." I stared down at the impressive sketches. This place was huge. A red spot pinpointed where Renge was supposed to be.

"It looks like we're planning to kidnap her," I grumbled, starting for the main building with Mrs. Mercier at my side. "All we need is the SWAT team and some helicopters."

"I have those on backup." It was only a slight relief that her voice dropped with a bit of humiliation. _Sweet Lord_.

It took us five minutes to even get to the front door and another five to get past the overexcited school attendants.

"Are you sure that you wouldn't like to see a brochure and then decide?" a small man in a tweed suit whittled, his feet scurrying along as he tried to keep pace with me. I stopped. His other two little cronies were out of breath and sweating as they came to a hurried stop beside tweed man. I wanted this to end now.

Putting on a friendly smile, I clasped my hands in front of me and turned fully to the attendants. "I really appreciate all that you're trying to do for your school right now, Mr... Akiyama."

Thank god he had a nametag. We had only gone as far as memorizing the people that surrounded Kyoya Ootori since that was where my sister would likely be.

"Your... _diligence_ makes me want to consider enrolling here. Would you like to go and get me some paperwork while I find my sister?"

"That's wonderful! Would you like to have a guide-?"

I laughed, giving him a smile. "That's very kind but unnecessary. I assume that you'll find us in the third Music Room."

Before he could say anything else, I turned and made my way quickly down the hall. It was only a short walk to the Music Room but that might have been more because of it's massive size than anything else. The diagram that Mrs. Mercier had shown me had told me that there was at least three connecting rooms, each big enough to house an orchestra alone. In all, the room must have taken up nearly the entire floor.

"Can you distract Mr. Akiyama?" I asked quietly as I faced the luxuries double doors. It was more than likely that they would come rushing up with paperwork and all. My hand went to curl around the gold handle. "This might take a bit of...convincing."

With a short nod , my governess made her way swiftly down the hall, her heels clicking rhythmically and I took a deep breath. My sister and I never did particularly see eye to eye and I had seen less and less of her the past couple of months. So this was going to be fun.

I pushed open the doors. And immediately stumbled back as a little boy in deep green plowed into me covered in bruises and bandages and a funny little markered on scar on his cheek.

My hands were barely able to fall back and catch myself, landing in a tangle of limbs.

" _Merde_ ," I groaned out, wincing as I rolled to see the boy crouching beside me. "Are you okay?"

It was probably the worst decision I had ever made. Sparkles appeared out of the blue, a sickly rose colored aura fluttering around the boy as he looked up at me, wiping some invisible wound near his mouth.

"No big deal. It was nothin'." What...the literal hell? Had I just walked on to some cheesy school soap opera? I blinked, finally taking the time to look around. The inside was as large as the sketches had hinted at with pillars holding up the high ceilings and a series of finely polished oak tables with roses on all and couches. The marble walls and floor were adorned with gold designs. And seeming to complete the image were six men, all elegantly dressed in the standard blue uniform and all very handsome.

And then there was my sister.

" _You_ ," I snarled, immediately getting to my feet as she scuttled back around a pillar. "Don't you run, you spiteful little brat! Get back here!"

"YOU'LL NEVER CATCH ME ALIVE!" She shrieked, the poofy pastel yellow dress fluttering all around her as she raced around the room. I growled, sprinting after her.

"Who are these crazy ladies?" It was the kid. I dodged around a pillar, catching the glint of an Ouran badge on her chest.

"You should probably go home, Shiro."

"You already enrolled here?!" I screamed, causing her to glance back at me as she dodged around a table. I swatted the vase to the side, barely hearing it crash to the floor as her eyes widened. "What the hell are you thinking, Renge?!"

"Shouldn't we stop them?" Renge feigned right. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw a flash of blonde hair.

"Nah," two voices said in such unison that I wasn't sure I would be able to tell one apart from the other.

"The taller one's so fast," a childish voice whispered followed by a small mumble of confirmation.

"I don't have _time_ for this, Renge," I snapped and her teeth bared over the table at me in a sneer. She was really ticking me off. "Father's expecting us back in less than 20 hours."

"You're such a suck up," she snarled and I rolled my eyes.

"Look who's talking, princess." She gave a shriek of indignation and we maneuvered around the table again. This was going nowhere. "This is ridiculous."

I leapt over the table, my nails digging into the front of her dress, sending us both crashing to the ground as the table went toppling over.

"YOU'RE CRAZY!" Renge wailed, trying futilely to push me off of her as we rolled.

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO WENT HALF WAY 'ROUND THE WORLD TO MARRY-"

"Ladies! Ladies!" Hands dragged me off of my sister. Not before I was able to get a good yank at her hair though. A tall, man with an obvious mix of French in his heritage twirled in, patting Renge on the head as he smiled charmingly at me. _Tamaki Souh_. "Those hands shouldn't be used for such violence."

My hand was pulled into a strong grip, lips barely grazing the back as Tamaki went to his knees in front of me. He had obviously done a lot of this. I tried not to grimace as he stared up at me through a flush of lashes, his violet eyes sparkling.

"They should be held in my hands alone." For a moment, I didn't say anything. It was completely mind boggling how this guy had gotten ahead of someone with the alleged merit that Kyoya had. I stared down at him suspiciously. Had I gotten the wrong guy? No. Mrs. Mercier never got informational stuff like this wrong. "And adored by my kisses."

Was this guy for real?

"Lame." My eyes snapped to my sister as I heard her echo my word. Keeping my eyes on her, I yanked my hand away from Suoh who seemed to be too busy wilting at my feet with two red headed twins laughing around him. The Hitachiin twins. Mercier had told me to look out for them since their parents were in the fashion industry just like mine. Our companies were competing for dominance in America at the moment. Luckily for us, the Hitachiin's had moved more towards casual wear and beach attire along with traditional in the past months. It had put a bit of pressure off of our stores in Japan and Germany.

All of the other host members had gathered around the scene. Even the infamous Kyoya Ootori. I turned fully to the man, my eyes running over his black hair teasing the angular contours of his face. Wisps tickled the side of his ears, almost on the edge of being messy but instead just making him seem almost endearing. Striking charcoal eyes were framed cooly with rimless glasses. His school uniform was impeccable. I hated to admit that his picture didn't do him much justice. He was handsome. I frowned. A lot handsomer than most of the other hosts.

Not that I would ever let him in on that.

Straightening my dark green cardigan and the belt on my dark blue dress, I turned fully to face him. He had been the one to tug me off of Renge. My lips thinned. She was hiding behind him. No way was I letting him run off with my sister like some kind of white knight.

"Kyoya Ootori." If I had forced anymore loathing into that word, I was pretty sure that he would have melted in front of me. All around me, I could feel the sudden tensing, the intakes of breath.

His lips tipped up, his eyes narrowing and then closing as he smiled thinly at me. Ah. I tipped my head back. I had seen that face too many times to misunderstand it. So he was Kyoya Ootori. And apparently he wasn't going to jeopardize his family's relationship with the Houshakuji family in anyway.

"Miss Ko Houshakuji, I assume." Dammit. He even had a nice voice. I tried not to show my agitation as Tamaki gasped.

"So you're Renge's sister?" I glanced over to see a young man who was much shorter than the others with big, brown eyes and silky hair. Haruhi Fujioka. For the first time, I was genuinely happy that Mrs. Mercier had done her research and dug farther into the backgrounds of the people in this club than was truthfully necessary. I would have never been able to guess that Haruhi was a girl just by her looks.

"They look nothing alike do they, Takashi?" Mitsukuni Haninozuka said, his arms wrapped tightly around Takashi Morinozuka. I had had little to no experience with their family. We had only dabbled into the selling of athletic gear for a short time before going back to our lines of casual dresswear and formal wear along with boutiques and cafes. Martial arts just didn't seem to run in my family's blood.

My eyes flicked back to Kyoya and narrowed. Did he already know about Haruhi? And if he did, what would the advantage of a commoner in the host club filled with the rich and famous? His eyes met mine for a brief moment and inwardly something clicked. He did know. Slowly, his lips tipped up into a knowing smile. I guess there wouldn't be an advantage to that scrap of information.

"Yes," I said, turning around to face Haruhi and give her a curtsy as I regained myself. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Fujioka."

For a moment, everything was silent and then I heard a low laugh from beside me.

"WHAT?!" Renge shrieked, reeling back like she had been electrocuted. I rolled my eyes. It wasn't that big a deal. Apparently, Haruhi had registered into the school as female but was simply to lazy to get her uniform turned in. Besides, from my research she seemed to be at the top of all her classes. That kind of commitment took time. So I was sure that more than general laziness she simply wasn't all that interested in something without real consequences if found out.

"She's sharper than she looks," I heard one of the twins whisper and my eyes snapped to them. _Smarter than I looked? Calm down, Ko. Their going to be the successors to a competitor._ I gave them a thin smile, immediately snapping out of it as I heard soft scribbling from beside me. Kyoya was writing something in a black, leather bound book. What? Discreetly, I tipped to the side, trying to peek over his arm. _SNAP_. I gritted my teeth in agitation as he smiled down at me, the book now tightly shut. _Jerk_.

"MOMMY!" I flinched back at the whiny wail, turning in astonishment to the president of the host club. Who was crying on the floor. "Our little girls secret has been found out!"

"I _told you_ to stop calling me that," Haruhi snapped, going over to scream down at his crying form.

Beside me, Kyoya shifted, his glasses glinting softly in the light of the room. I really didn't have time for this. My eyes snapped back to Renge and I grimaced. She was in tears herself. Apparently she had grown to like Haruhi as a boy.

"I don't necessarily think that Miss Houshakuji plans to use this against us." He said that with such confidence. I wish I _had_ a way to use it just so that I could get that stupid smile off his face. Sighing, I sat down in the couch that he gestured to, surprised that he took a seat next to me. He was a little too close for me to stop a nervous flip to turn my stomach.

"Unfortunately," I started, looking away to the roses on the table as the rest of the members gathered around us leaving Renge to wallow alone. Haruhi's eyes met mine and I only saw general interest there. "Having this particular bit of information doesn't help me at all. What would I do with a secret that isn't really a secret?"

"Well, that's a relief," Tamaki said, flicking his hair out his eyes and giving me a dazzling smile. "We welcome you, Ko Houshakuji and are here at your disposal."

"Good," I said, getting up to all of their obvious surprise and rolling up my sleeves. "I would like you all to help me with this." I gave them all a cool smile as I strolled toward my sister's shell-shocked form. "Please."

"No!" Ah, she came back to herself quicker than I had thought. "You've ruined everything, Ko! Why would I ever want to go back to father and you when you've given me nothing but trouble? I'm happy here."

She was glaring at me now. I hated it when she did this. She was stubborn - the one trait that she had seemed to get from our mother other than her looks.

"Oooohhhhh." I ignored the twins as my sister got to her feet. "Sisterly quarrel."

"Should we stop it before they break anything else?" Mitsukuni asked quietly only getting a silent stare from Mori.

"Now, now, ladies," Tamaki said a bit nervously, getting up with extended hands. "Isn't there a way for us to settle this-"

"Dad sent me to get you." My eyes narrowed on her as hers rolled. "You're worrying him."

"He doesn't care." I gulped at the spiteful words, hating the way that everyone seemed to go silent. We were making a scene. Futily, I tried to lead her into a more secluded spot of the room but she shook me off. Looks like we were going to have this out here. "He's handed over most of the company to you - leaving nearly nothing for me-"

"Did you ever think that the reason he didn't give you anything was because of your lack of interest in the business?" I snapped, not able to contain my own anger. Behind me, I could feel the stares - one in particular. Did she think that I wanted to take control of all this stuff - the boutiques and clothing lines, the investments and cafes - while he was on a yacht in the Mediterranean? But someone had to do it. He had built this entire life for us and I wasn't going to let it sink just because of her. I let out a breath, trying to give myself some room to breath before she cried even more than she was already. "Listen. I know that you've been trying-"

"You don't know anything, Ko." It was the biggest slap to the face. Her honey eyes blazed up at me. "I'm staying here and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"As long as you stay here, I stay here," I snarled, losing my cool all over again. She was acting like a brat. " _Daron_ wanted me to bring you back and I agreed to it."

Anger made me switch rapidly from French to Japanese.

"Well then, I hope you brought a lot of clothes."

"YOU BRAT!" I jumped on her, ripping and slapping at anything I could get my hands on as she screamed. I was so angry. Couldn't she just - this once - ? Strong arms pulled me away and all I could do was hang there like a fuming puppy. "YOU'RE SELFISH! Think about me for a minute, Renge! I need to run things-"

"You ran them from France; why not from Japan?" Her hair was all over the place, a set of claw marks running down her cheek and Tamaki and the blonde haired boy fretting over her.

She actually had a good point. Since our company was international, it really didn't matter where I was as long as I was about to go places easily. Why did I want to go back to that empty house? It would be mostly the same here in Japan. "I - I - I'm still in school. What about my education?"

"You're standing in Ouran. Duh." I really didn't appreciate that. I gritted my teeth down on a retort as I glared at her. Her brows tipped up. "There's only two options in front of you, sister~"

Leave without her or wait around until she changed her mind. I couldn't just airlift her out of here. She would come crawling back. I winced, sinking back against a solid chest. She was right. All the fight left me.

"Hahaha!" I heard Renge chirp triumphantly. Slowly, the arms unwound from around my waist and I turned to see Kyoya smiling down at me. He looked positively evil. For a moment, I wondered if Mrs. Mercier and him were related.

"Welcome to Ouran High School, Miss Houshakuji." Why did that sound more like a deadly promise than anything else? "I'm sure that I'll be seeing you around."

For my sake, I really hoped not.

* * *

 _A quick note before I go into the French in this section: For some reason, my reviews don't seem to be showing for my story. I just wanted you all to know that I do get them but that it seems that the internet is gobbling them up. Just a heads up so that people didn't start to think I was responding to shadows._

 _Calisson: This is a traditional French candy that looks a bit like a yellow petal covered in white icing. My great-grandmother always used to have them around in her house with other little treats for us kids. They come in varying flavors like oranges and lemon and they usually have almonds crunched up on top under the icing._

 _Ami: friend_

 _Merde: Shit. Oh my. Just got a bit R-rated, kiddies!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Have I told you guys how awesome you are? Cuz you are just making my days! I love hearing from you and every time I get a favorite/follow I start dancing around my room. Now onto the reviews! There were so many!_

 _ **Let'sDotheTimeLordpAgain** : I'm so happy that you like it! I've actually always really liked Renge as a character so I thought I wanted to give her a bit more attention._

 _ **Chocolover27** : Aw! Thank you! It's always awesome to hear that someone likes my character or the way that I portray other characters._

 _ **Sheepgirl418** : I hope you continue to like it!_

 _ **Gal** : As you wish!_

 _ **Jellytaco** : Thank you for telling me about that error. I always go back over and read every chapter afterwards and groan whenever I come across errors like that. And I'm really, really happy that everything seems to be coming together for my story! I never want to have a bogus OC._

 _ **WonderlandtotheMax** : Thank you! ^-^ I hope you continue to like it!_

* * *

"You'll be staying." I didn't respond to Mrs. Mercier's statement, instead choosing to focus on the house that I was stepping into. Fortunately for us, dad and mom had a home in nearly every country that was always fully furnished. Renge had been living in a hotel just a walk from Ouran this whole time. Which was mildly disturbing since she _was_ the second daughter to one of the wealthiest men alive.

"It's beautiful," my sister gasped in French, going immediately to a window that looked over a lake. It was a traditional Japanese home with sprawling lawns and maples and pine trees protecting and shading the home. It was beautiful and it took my breath away. I pulled aside the glass sliding doors to step out on the _roka_ where the extended roof held elegantly decorated lanterns to guide the way.

The home had obviously been upgraded from the paper sliding doors and other things but it still kept the general tones with wide, open rooms and a waterfall garden in the center of the home. _Satsuki_ and _perulatus_ lined the sides of the house, their white and pink petals reaching for us as Renge ran down the halls giggling. It was a multi-storied home with ample room for maids and cooks and our rooms.

"You can go back to France." It was harder than I thought it would be to say. The thought of Mrs. Mercier not being with me was more frightening than I would like to admit. But she had a home in France - even if she had no children and only an ex-husband.

"Have you graduated high school yet?" I looked at her, clearly perplexed. What was she talking about?

"No?"

"Then I guess we have a ways to go." She didn't look at me, her eyes intent on the lake. Maybe I should be nicer to her.

"Yeah," was all I managed before hurrying off to my room. Niceness would take time.

* * *

I tightened the bow around my neck, staring at the puffs of yellow that were wrapped around my body like I was some kid going to her first recital. The outfits for Ouran Highschool weren't entirely awful. But compared to the ones given to the males, we were definitely sacrificing a lot.

"Why don't they just transfer the male color for the uniforms over to the female outfits?" I mused, earning a startled look from the maids that had made my bed.

Although the rest of the house seemed to keep its fairly traditional Japanese feel, I had picked a bedroom that had large, floor to ceiling windows. It was fortunate that the house even offered such a room, with a raised platform that held a comfortable bed. It was ordinary with all the essentials - a closet, dresser, etc. I stopped as I came to the place that held my outside shoes, sliding them on as my eyes turned to the beautiful gardens and lake that spanned the entire house. The one thing that my old French house would never be able to replicate was this.

Giving them a short smile, I left the room, picking up my bag and heading for the front door where Mrs. Mercier waited with a clipboard and tight lips.

She had always liked to participate in my daily rituals - especially my morning routines. She liked to make sure that my hair wasn't getting tangled up since it was a bit more wily than Renge's and also that I had spare glasses in my bag although she knew I preferred contacts. She also liked to make sure that I wasn't showing off too much skin. Although Renge and I were born naturally on the leaner side, around the time that my boobs started coming in, Mrs. Mercier prickled. Apparently up until that point she hadn't realized that I was female.

I sighed, my feet padding softly against the wood floors. She had nothing to worry about with this school uniform. There would be no room for inpropriety here.

"Ah, _cet endroit est rempli avec des roses_ ," I whispered softly to myself, sliding into my shoes and making my way down the intricate stone pathway that led to our front gate and limo, Mrs. Mercier closely behind me.

"What was that, Miss?" she quipped, opening up the door so that I could slide in. I paused, glancing inside to see Renge already there, her eyes wide and excited. She had never been this happy to go to school before.

"I was just reprimanding myself for how rosy everything seems to be looking," I said as I slid in and Mrs. Mercier did the same. Across from me, Renge smirked, her eyes growing mischievous as the car began to move.

"I knew you'd fall in love right when you got here," she sighed happily, leaning back into the leather. Irritation ticked through me.

"Fortunately for both of us, I have a little more self-control." I gave her a thin smile as she stewed, her cheeks puffing out.

"You have to ruin everything." I blinked, my eyes narrowing and my hands clenching in the thick material of my skirt.

" _You have to ruin everything." I stared down into the wide brown eyes of my sister. It was her seventh birthday and all of her friends were gathered around us._

 _Even when we were little, we had shared few traits. I had long, burgundy red hair and angular features. It all came from our French mother while everything that Renge had came from our Japanese father. She was arrogant, dramatic and hot tempered._

" _But we're not-" I started in Japanese, trying to reach out to her and just receiving a scowl instead. Nervously my eyes flicked around and I saw the stares._

" _You're talking in Japanese again. You know I don't like it when you do that." Renge stomped her foot and I straightened. I was older than her. Why was she being like this?_

" _You know that we don't look alike so we wouldn't fool anyone when you started going on about us being twi-" I stopped as she burst into tears._

" _She's a liar," a kid to my right whispered. They had only come because Renge had told them that we were exactly alike. They had thought that we were twins. That we had some weird mental link that told each other when we were in trouble or when we were hurt. Apparently Renge had told so many stories about us and our magical abilities that the others had started to believe we were two fairy children from the depths of Asia._

" _You ruin everything!" Renge wailed, pressing her fists tightly to her eyes as tears and snot dripped from her chin. "Why couldn't we be more alike? Why couldn't I have a better sister? Why? Why-"_

" _Renge!" Dad was here, scooping up my little sisters sobbing form as the kids whispered. Kids were so mean. Why were they like this? "What happened, mon canard?"_

" _Stop it!" I hissed at the kids near me and suddenly, Dad's eyes were on me, his brows tipping down._

" _Ko, what did you do to your baby sister?" I don't say anything. Deep down, I do think it's my fault. If I was more like Renge, maybe she would have an easier time. If we were more alike, maybe she wouldn't feel so alone._

" _I want to go to sleep, daron," Renge whispered suddenly, her words hiccupy and short as she fought off sobs. "I just want to go to sleep."_

 _All I could do was watch as my Dad's long legs carried them to the patio and into the house, the parents under the large umbrella's murmuring and watching the scene closely. I'm left to listen to the children's whispers and criticism._

"Miss Ko!" I jerked, blinking around. We've made it to the school. Renge's already gone and Mrs. Mercier is obviously worried. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. Sorry." I cough, picking up my bag and getting out of the car quickly. "I'm leaving the rest of the unpacking and staff management to you today."

"Of course." With a short nod, Mrs. Mercier fixes the cuffs on my dress and collar before smoothing out my hair. "You'll be fine, Mrs. Ko. Just go to your classes and everything should be all right."

I give her a strained smile, turning away before she can read too much into it. "Aren't I always fine, Mrs. Mercier?"

"When eyes are upon you." The old bat. She saw too much.

Giving her a short wave, I take a breath and head down the long pathway to Ouran's main building.

* * *

"I really do need to go now," I forced out, giving the girls gathered around me a strained laugh.

I should have known that I would be bombarded like this. Not only was I new but I was also a Houshakuji. Not only were we known for our clothing lines but we were also known for our cosmetics. It was exhausting fending these she-beasts off. I was sure that all I looked like was a big bottle of facial cream with a discount sign on it.

"But Ko!" one girl whined, batting at my arm playfully. I really didn't like people touching me. I sent them a thin smile. "How can you do this to us? We really need you tonight! All the boys are expecting us to invite you."

"I'm sorry to disappoint," I said with a restrained smile, getting up and gathering all my school supplies.

"Well, where will you be going?" Another girl chirped in, her eyes flicking to her friends nervously as I got to the door and slid it open

I thought over my options for a moment, my fingers traveling over the wood of the sliding door. "I'll be going to the Host Club."

That was honestly my best option at the moment. Renge would likely pop up there if nowhere else. And I needed to talk to Ootori. Nodding goodbye to the stunned girls, I headed briskly down the halls and up a flight of stairs. I hadn't heard from my sister all day and with my father's constant texts, it was hard for me to let her run rampant. I felt like I had entered motherhood with the amount of diligence that I was having to pay to one fifteen year old girl.

"Welcome." Light blinded me for a moment, making me stumble back as a flurry of rose petals slapped me in the face. It was a lot more of an aggressive assault than I was expecting.

"Why, if it isn't Miss Houshakuji!" It was Tamaki. It always seemed to be him that made the first move. He grinned down at me playfully as he walked over, taking my hand and giving it a chaste kiss. "I knew you would be back! Have you finally come to terms with your love for me?"

His voice dipped lowly as he leaned down, staring intently into my eyes. "Because I'm not sure I could wait another moment for your words to relieve the ache I've experienced every day - Nay! Every second that has passed without you."

For a moment, I didn't say anything, simply taking in the man in front of me. He was obviously very good at what he did. And my research showed that he was the main cause of over 50% of the customer's here. It was astonishing.

"Yeah…" I mumbled, slowly disengaging myself from his hold and inching past him. _He was uncharted waters_ , I thought distastefully as I eyed him. His motives were completely confusing simply because he didn't seem to have any. My eyes flicked to the other hosts that were standing around an empty chair that looked more like a throne. All of their motives were confusing.

"She totally turned you down, boss!" the twins howled, nearly crying with laughter over the dejected form of Tamaki.

"Well, what type do you like, Ko?" I glanced up to see the playful face of Mitskuni, his arms resting on top of Takashi's head as the quiet giant watched with a blank expression.

Haruhi was off with a customer, her eyes flicking up briefly to give me a smile and a wave. She was a lot friendlier than I was expecting. But maybe that came with a shared secret.

"Actually-" I started, glancing around the nearly filled room to see all the girls sitting on the couches and at tables, chatting animatedly with each other as the hosts attended me.

"Miss Houshakuji." Ah, there he was. I turned slowly, watching at the tall figure of Kyoya Ootori approached with an indifferent smile in place. He was good at creating masks. Mitskuni gave a small chirp from his place on Takashi's shoulders. "I was expecting you."

"Let's go, Takashi," the blonde haired boy whispered mischievously with a smirk, tugging the man's ear until he nodded and they went over to a crowded table with cake and tea.

"You were expecting me?" The words came out bland as distrust filled me. From what I had gathered, Kyoya wasn't the type to grace anyone with useless attention.

"Yes," he said, nodding. "I thought we might have things to discuss."

Well, he certainly had the upper hand now. His eyes glittered behind his glasses as they ran over me.

"Kyoya." Ah, Tamaki was up again, his gaze intent on us as he inched closer. "Ko's your client?"

"Mm," Kyoya murmured, his eyes flicking to me for a moment before he gaze a small smile. "I hadn't particularly thought about that but if she would-"

"No." It came out louder than I thought it would, heat rolling up my neck as I flicked my hair away from my face and stared up at the much taller man. His gaze was calculating. He knew exactly what he was doing. "From what I hear, Mr. Ootori, you would need my credit card number if I decided to be your client."

For a moment, neither of us said anything. Beside us, I could feel Tamaki anxiously watching the exchange. I wasn't going to lie, Kyoya intimidated me. Especially with the odd way that my heart was reacting whenever I got near him. And the way that he kept looking at me.

"Not necessarily." I blinked. It was a split second comment and then he was turning away. How could I respond? I needed to respond, didn't I? But he was already walking away. "Luckily for you, Miss Houshakuji, today my time is absolutely free of charge. If you'll follow me…"

I glanced back at Tamaki, only see his perplexed expression for a moment before I was hurrying after Kyoya's tall figure to a corner of the Music Room that held a table and two chairs across from each other. There weren't any flowers on it but there was an impressive display of sweets and teas. Gracefully, Kyoya sat down, waiting as I eyed the display suspiciously. Delicately, I poked at the sugar cookies and cakes.

"It's almost April," I stated, watching as he paused in opening his leather bound book with all its secrets. His eyes flicked up to meet mine.

"I'm glad you notice the changing of months." _Oh that was how we were going to play it?_ I smiled thinly at him as he sat back, crossing one long leg over the other and watching me intently.

"It's almost April in Japan," I said, picking up a cookie and staring at it's crystallized coat of sugar. "I'm sure that you've realized that the sakuras are in bloom and that soon _Miyako Odori,_ Golden Week, _Inuyama_ , and _Takayama_."

"Your point?" I was getting to him. Even though he was keeping that cool tone, his eyes were telling a whole other story. I smirked, turning the small, little cookie around in my hand.

"Don't you think that every single person in this room will be going there and eating seasonal Japanese treats?" I tossed the cookie on the plate, meeting his deadly eyes with a smile. "Who wants the same old, boring sugar cookies when right outside of these gates there are people selling hot _amantto_ or sakura mochi out of their street shops?"

His gaze never left mine as I sat back in my seat, finally able to feel like I had gained a little ground. Maybe I wasn't so outmatched after all. I took a sip of the tea, closing my eyes as the smooth taste rolled over my tongue, leaving my mouth with a slightly bittersweet taste. _Gyokuro tea_.

"That will be 4200 yen." I spluttered, choking on the next mouthful as my eyes flew open to see Kyoya scribbling something down in his notebook. _Damn him._ I should have known that if he hadn't gotten me with his stupid client deal then I would have to pay for his time some other way. He was the devil. Dark eyes flicked up to meet mine, sending a shiver running up my arms. "You make good points, Miss Houshakuji. I will take them into consideration."

His smile turned purely demonic as his eyes closed. "How will you be paying today?"

Anger flared through me, burning my throat as I yanked my bag into my lap and dug for my wallet. 4200 yen for a cup of tea was ridiculous. Growling, I flicked the money onto the table.

"Not using a credit card?" Oh, wouldn't he love that. I shot him a withering glare, slamming my bag back to the floor.

"I have a feeling that I would be seeing more and more charges brought up from this godforsaken place if I let you have that information."

"We notify all clients-"

"I'm not a client," I snapped, my voice whipping out of me as a blush seared my cheeks.

"I've noticed." There he went again, saying things so softly and quickly that I didn't have time to respond. My heart leapt into my throat. Slowly, Kyoya leaned to the side, one of his hands coming up to prop up his head. "What's your business here, Miss Ko?"

I blinked. "Don't call me that. And my business is with my sister and my sister alone."

The dark haired boy gave a small smile. "I'm glad. For a moment, I was under the impression that your sudden interest in Japan might have had something to do with the Ootori family."

"You're not out of the woods yet," I snarled, immediately regretting my impulsive threat as his eyes swirled dangerously. Angry at my own weakness, I glanced away, taking in the giggle girls around me and their handsome hosts. "Your family isn't my problem… But _you_ are."

For a moment, there was silence and then I snapped around at a dark chuckle. Under a splay of dark hair, his eyes glittered. "I'm flattered."

"Don't be." Why did I feel like I had just been knocked silly? Smiling like this, he almost seemed - My fingers tightened around the armrests. "I need to know what your relationship with my sister is."

He didn't like that. His lips tipped down and briefly his eyes flicked around the room before they were set on mine again. He looked like he had just seen something particularly unsavory and was debating whether to intercede or move on. But then they changed. I gulped as they darkened and the hand that had been propping up his head slowly came to the table. _That look_ \- Fire burned up my spine. He was looking at me like a wolf that had just found a lamb. That was probably why I couldn't restrain my urge to lean back into my chair as he slowly got up, his hand still on the table as he leaned across the table.

And into my personal space.

I needed to think - My eyes shifted from his to a point in the wall as he came closer. My head was all fuzzy. I gulped, trying to ignore the irrational fluttering that was sending my heart into a tail spin as his breath blew warmly across my cheeks, his lips so close that I thought I felt them ghost along the shell of my ears. He was doing this on purpose. Damn him.

"I think all you need to know, _Miss Ko_ , is that I won't jeopardize my family's reputation and business." I let out a whoosh of air as he leaned back, his head tipping to the side as his eyes flicked from my eyes to my lips. "No matter how tempting the offer."

I nearly blew a gasket. My head was all over the place. How was I supposed to take that? He was talking about my sister? Right? But the way that he was looking at me - No. Dammit. My hand slammed into the table, the whole room seeming to rattle as I scrambled away. I need to get some distance from him. Hands shaking, I grabbed clumsily for my bag. I wasn't going to wait here for Renge for another second with this guy. He was deadly. He was dangerous. He was -

He was following me toward the door with a cocky smile and his hands shoved into his pockets like he had just bought Europe for 9000 yen.

"I hope to see you again soon, Miss Ko." There was an ending to that sentence. _As my client_. My eyes narrowed on the tall, ebony haired man.

Like hell would he ever have me as a client.

* * *

 _So much Japanese this chapter! I really like the French and Japanese culture and I do know a lot about both so I'm afraid that you guys are going to have to deal with my eccentric references. (No but seriously. If you don't like it and you're like lovely, ya need to calm it down because I get confused when you throw all this fancy shit in here. Too much, honey. Just tell me! I can contain myself. I think.)_

 _ **Roka** : Wooden floored passageways on the exterior of a house. So pretty with lanterns. If you haven't seen them - Girlfrien', you need you some Studio Ghibli._

 _ **Satsuki** : Little bushes with beautiful flowers that usually are a light pink. They remind me a bit of hibiscus flowers._

 _ **Perulatus** : Another type of flower that is common in Japan. It comes in a shrub form with cute, white buds that look similar to bells._

 _ **Cet endroit est rempli avec des roses:** This place is filled with roses. In France, they have a really pretty saying that goes something like 'seeing the world through rose colored glasses.' It's a saying for how people view the world when they're in love. I actually learned that from Audrey Hepburn, not my grandmother._

 _ **Mon canard:** My duck._

 _ **Miyako Odori:** Literally means "Dances of the Old Capitol" but is more commonly referred to as Cherry Blossom Dances." They have drinks and food and more importantly, Geisha's doing traditional dances._

 _ **Golden Week:** It's like crunch time in Japan. A lot of people take off for these days to have fun. Get their drink on and more importantly celebrate a series of holidays with their families. Originally it was just a celebration for Emporer Showa's birthday but they were like what the hell? And so it began._

 _ **Inuyama:** Not getting into the real specifics, it's a parade with 13 beautiful floats._

 _ **Takayama:** It's one of the three biggest festivals in a Japanese year! Like the others there is food, floats, and some puppets._

 _ **Amantto:** It's just sugared almonds. De-licious. Except not really almonds - more like azuki or other beans. Still yummy._


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Heya, guys! I know. I know. It feels like forever since I last updated. Got a bit waterlogged with work for a bit. But when I came back there were these amazing reviews and so many favorites/follows! It made me so happy. Thank you all! The support for this story keeps the ideas rolling around in my head. You wouldn't believe how much your reviews and follows mean.**_

 _ **WonderlandtotheMaX:** It makes me so happy that you like my character! That's the best compliment that I could receive._

 _ **nacheell** : I hope I didn't make you wait too long._

 _ **AusllyBeliever** : I' glad that you liked that little conversation between them. _

_**Guest** : Thank you!_

 _ **DiamondThief360:** I'm glad you liked it. I was wondering about the spiciness. Didn't want it to be weird._

 _Harmony just for you: You got it!_

* * *

The Host Club was a rabbit's hole. I stared around at the finely dressed girls - heiresses in their own right - giggling over tea. This place held everything that was needed to distract young ladies with too much time on their hands and not enough sense in their heads to realize that the money being taken out of their bank accounts could probably support a family of five. They were in over their heads. They were drowning in a fantasy that would be ending as soon as they graduated.

But I supposed that I shouldn't think too much about it. Especially considering the fact that I had just helped this nasty little habit pick up a few more customers.

"It seems that it might be beneficial to have you around, Miss Ko."

My lips twitched down as I stared at the man in front of me, his slender fingers scribbling down a series of notes in his little book. It made me angry that I thought he was probably the most elegant, mind-numbingly handsome person in the room. And also that he had played me. Cool, ebony eyes flicked up to meet mine with a small smile.

"Our sales and client list has increased since your suggestion came to me."

I didn't say anything, holding his gaze. For the first time, I realized that his eyes were shot through with a brownish-grey. It made them almost sparkle, shifting in the light as rays hit them at certain moments. They were beautiful. He was-

"That will be 5000 yen," I stated, cutting my train of thought off quickly as I gave him a thin smile, offering out a hand as I waited for a moment.

"I wasn't under the impression that your advise was going to be charged for."

"I'm sure we've both been known to leave things out once and awhile." I waited patiently as he stared down at me, his eyes slightly narrowed in consideration. At least I was making him think. Sometimes, I felt like I was talking to a greek statue, trying to beat through the hard exterior at the smallest signs of flesh beneath. It made me feel desperate in an odd way that I had never known.

I gave him a full-blown grin as I felt the crisp folds of money slide along my palm.

"Hm." I glanced up from putting the money away, to see his eyes lasered in on me like he was trying to work something very complicated out in his mind. "Interesting."

That was possibly even worse than finding out that I had helped out the Host Club. My head tipped to the side as his notebook snapped open and he immediately began writing in it. Curiosity itched along my spine. It had to be something that I had just done, right? But what was it? He had already known that I was a business woman. My feet shuffled to the side, trying to be as stealthy as possible as my eyes strained to see his tight, neat handwriting.

"Hou-sha-ku-ji~" I nearly jumped out of my skin at the identical voices, gulping down on my surprise as twin arms curled around my neck and waist, smashing me in between the Hitachiin twins. Each of them wore goofy grins, matching all the way up to their amber eyes which gleamed mischievously beneath a mess of reddish-brown hair.

Either way, they were both uncomfortably close. But they were the Hitachiins. I settled in, gazing longingly at Kyoya. _Wait. Why Kyoya?_

"Have you chosen a host yet?" Slim fingers tightened on my waist, drawing my attention to the twin on my right who was wearing an impish smirk. "I didn't see any. Did you see her choose, brother?"

"No." The hand on my shoulder tightened up as well, drawing my gaze to the gentle gaze of the twin on my left. Huh. Maybe they were a bit different… A hand came up, grazing along my chin as the left side twin's eyes went saultry. "Maybe she's waiting for the right one."

"Or the right _pair_." Another hand came up to turn my head to the right and up into a heated stare.

I felt like a puppet being pulled this way and that. I wondered how the girls handled it. Wasn't there so much to take in? Wouldn't it get confusing? I could maybe, _maybe_ tell them apart if given the right amount of time and without them moving around too much but otherwise I was going to be lost. Didn't that make people a bit wary? They had the upper hand in anything with this ability to confuse someone so easily.

"That's okay," I said thinly, stepping clumsily out of the snare of hands and legs and stumbling into Kyoya's side on accident. Blushing, I hurried to right myself. " _Je suis dé…_ "

My words stumbled off as strong fingers curled around my waist, steadying me. The end of my sentence clogged in my throat as heat burned along my neck, searing my face. He was touching my waist. I had just had two guys touching my waist and shoulders. I gulped. I didn't want to think about why this was different. Discreetly, I glanced up to see the gentle twin staring intently at Kyoya, his face decidedly blank. The other twin looked to be incredibly bored, his eyes already lasered in on the unassuming Haruhi as she got done with a client.

All of this was a little much. _My emotions_ were a little much. I stepped away from the ebony haired man, ignoring a sharp glance from him as I gave all of them a winning smile.

"Actually." I coughed, smoothing down my skirt and getting the money out from my bag again. "I have decided on a set of hosts."

"I knew you would come around." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as the - I was going to call him the Haruhi twin - snapped to attention, his lips curling up in a smirk as his brother's did the same. Both of their eyes churned with smug attention as they came closer, sandwiching me in between them both once more. Behind them, I caught the quick glance of Kyoya. He looked annoyed. But he always looked annoyed. It didn't mean anything. I turned, pressing a hand to the Hitachiin brothers chest in an attempt to get them to give me a little bit of space.

"Brother, she's so forward." I growled as fingers curled around my own, pressing my hands more insistently to a chest as the twins looked secretively at each other over my head.

They must have been very good hosts. Fingers tipped my chin in the direction of the other twin. They must have been very good hosts to someone - anyone - other than myself. Amber eyes blazed into mine, reminding me of some hot whiskey that my father had once swirled in front of our fireplace, the flames tinting colors until it seemed like a river of fire. Slowly, soft fingers skimmed along my jawline.

"What would you like from us, princess?" Somewhere deep in the crowd I heard a flutter of sighs and squeals. We had attracted an audience, it seemed.

"How nice," I said thinly, feeling the immediate change in temperature as my words reached sub-zero weather, the twins going stiff as they froze where they were. Taking a finger, I tilted the hand on my jaw away from me and squirmed away. "I would like you to go and get my real hosts. Mister Suoh and Mister Fujioka."

"You didn't want..?" Gulping, I saw the twins glance to each other. It was the first time I had seen them look slightly unbalanced.

"You?" I gave them a restrained smile, stepping to stand beside Kyoya who was wearing a suspiciously attentive expression, his eyes calculating and deadly as they flicked to stare at me from the corners. My mind slowly revolved around what the twins would want to hear. None of my answers came up to be in any way beneficial to myself - all of them sounding like needless flattery. The only option was to give them the bluntest answer. My eyes closed as I pulled my lips into the simper that I had used to get me through countless painful business meetings. "To be frank to both of you, you're not my types. I'm sure you're absolutely...adorable to other guests however."

It might have seemed insulting. They didn't seem to be taking it too well, both of their mouths hanging open as they muttered angrily, each trying to out-protest the other. It wasn't meant to be rude. The only reason I had said this much was because they didn't seem to be ones to give up easily, even if their hearts weren't in the game. And I didn't want to be a mindless act to either of the twins. My eyes slowly drifted over to Haruhi.

"HARUHI!" Haruhi's twin whirled to face her, his cheeks scarlet as his brother did the same. "Did you hear that? We're still your favorites right?"

"I don't have favorites."

I hadn't thought much of the girl before this moment. Many of the elite people that went to this school seemed to have some kind of vice. The girls liked to play with the Host Club. The boys liked to play with the girls that liked to play with the hosts. I had never really considered what the hosts wanted - what the most powerful, influential individuals at the top of this high school's food chain really wanted.

"You're thinking too much, Miss Houshakuji." My eyes flicked up to meet the indulgent smile that Kyoya had on his face. The same smile that I had given the twins just a moment ago. Briefly, I glanced down to his opened notebook. He was writing something about me again. I could catch out the loops and swirls of my name in there. Slowly, I turned to face him, lowering my voice so that only he could hear me.

"Are you a mind reader now?" His head tipped to the side as his grey eyes slowly opened, focusing down on me with an accuracy that made me feel naked. _Vulnerable_. Lazily, he he closed his book, leaning down until I felt like he was all around me, dark strands of hair falling into his eyes.

"It isn't hard to determine when my assets are in jeopardy."

"So these hosts are assets of yours?"

"That's not what I said."

"It's what you insinuated." I was getting out of breath. He was unnerving me with all his stupid staring and how close he was getting. How close… I sniffed at the air, closing my eyes as the scent of warmed sakura and tea mixed with the tang of ink drifted to me. "What's that smell?"

"...Are you trying to distract me?" I rolled my eyes as his narrowed, grabbing at his jacket collar with my free hand and leaning forward. Was it coming from him? I took in a deep breath, pressing my nose against the fabric and then turning up the collar to do the same. It _was_ coming from him. My eyes narrowed even more as I glared up at him, my nose still pressed to his jacket.

He smelled good. He smelled _intoxicating_. Turning down his collar and straightening his shirt, I ignored his astonished face with a scowl.

"You've been very bad, Mister Ootori." My finger jabbed into his coat, my chin tipping up as I kept his gaze. "You have a contract with the Houshakuji family, do you not?"

"I don't see-"

"Don't you?" I pressed on. For a moment, he didn't say anything, his eyes blazing with both confusion and anger as he stared down at me. I wasn't letting up. Irritation and a bit of victory was coursing through my veins. I had finally caught him. Eventually, his shoulders went down a fraction, his face smoothing over even though I could still see the churning of jagged annoyance under the mask.

"The Ootori family does have a contractual obligation-"

"To test and develop all cosmetics sold in our boutiques and other, higher beauty shops including blushes, foundations, primers, lotions -"

"Hair accessories and perfumes," he finished with a bit of irritation and I smirked, staring up at him until he forced his lips into a strained smile. "What is your point?"

In order to sell such high end products, we had to associate with high end doctors. We needed to know that what we were giving the public products that weren't going to poison them. The move to partner with the Ootori family was beneficial to both of us. Not only did they ship to us some of the best skin products but they also came up with some ground breaking perfumes with the natural resources that could only be found in Asia. In turn we gave them a drool worthy portion of the proceeds plus full access to any future boutiques and stores in their hospitals and any other ventures that they so decided upon.

"This agreement hinges on the fact that all perfumes be shipped directly to the Houshakuji facilities for testing and management." Involuntarily, my face pulled into a giddy grin as I moved closer to him, bring us nearly chest to chest. Elation made me bold. If I got him on this, Renge would never want to see him again. And then I would be back home. _Happy dance_. One of Kyoya's brows tipped up as he stared down at me, an emotion that could have been amusement lighting his eyes. "You've just violated that rule."

"Tell me, Miss Ko." My head snapped down to stare at the hand that was gently moving over mine. I hadn't noticed that I had laid my palm flat over his heart. _Right over his heart_. I gulped, trying to push back against the blush of excitement and embarrassment that was searing my face as his long, slender fingers stroked along the back of my hand. "How has the Ootori family so violated this rule?"

"Y-you - Um - You -" I stopped, blinking rapidly as his head tipped down, so close that I could feel the tickle of his hair skimming along my cheek. He was trying to distract me. Excitement tingled along my spine, making my heart beat faster in my chest. It was working. I gulped, scrambling to recollect my thoughts. "You're cologne."

Desperately, my hands flexed and silently, I reamed myself out as his fingers did the same, only reminding me that I was completely trapped by him. If I pulled away, it would look submissive. _Quelqu'un m'aider!_

"My cologne?" He was prompting me - goading me. I could hear it in the stupid lilt in his voice. He was amused - so amused that it sounded like he was on the verge of laughing. I shook my head, letting my anger take over as I snapped to stare at him, not caring that he was inches away. Not caring that he it would be so easy to lean over and kiss him. But why would I want to do that?

Maybe I cared a little bit.

"The cologne that you're wearing right now," I snapped out, ignoring the tip of his brows and the way that his eyes swirled darkly, heating. "You didn't give it to us, therefore you are in deliberate violation of our contract. Perhaps my father would be interested to know that you're keeping the best for yourself."

"The best?" I bit my tongue, glancing away angrily.

"It smells very good," I admitted, begrudgingly. This didn't seem like such a victory anymore.

"Interesting."

I whirled, spitting fire at the smug, laughing way that he was staring at me.

"OF COURSE SHE WOULD WANT US!" Arms dragged me away from the compromising situation just in time, pulling me into the sparkling side of Tamaki. On his other side, Haruhi looked to be just as thrilled as a wet cat, his arms around her limp shoulders. In front of us, the twins looked to be infuriated, the scene drawing the attention of the entire club. Dramatically, Tamaki looked to the ceiling. "Princess Ko-"

"Houshakuji," I snapped immediately. My eyes drifted sharply to glare at Kyoya out of the corner of my eyes. Anger still bubbled over my skin, pricking my pride.

"Princess Houshakuji," Tamaki corrected just as quickly, very little wind taken out of his sails. "Wants only the finest. Do you think mediocre wine would tastes better just because there were two bottles of it?"

"Are you calling us mediocre?" The gentle twin deadpanned.

"Mediocre wine like Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conte Grand Cru," the other twins stated.

"Aged," his brother added and they high fived. I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms. I was still feeling a little… My eyes flicked back to Kyoya again, seeing writing in his stupid notebook. How infuriating.

"NO!" Tamaki roared like a general and a few girls clutched their chests in awe. "She wants the best! The - How do you commoners say it, Haruhi?"

The brown haired girl's eyes were dead as she bluntly started in, "Cream of the -"

"CREAM OF THE CROP!" He shouted, taking his hand from my shoulders for a moment to wave it about with zeal. "Does anyone really know what that means? NO! Commoners are too simple and plain for us to fully understand. They have their own language and ways like… like… like ancient neanderthals."

I could nearly see the word slamming into Haruhi's skull from above. _Neanderthals_. Seemingly, trying to ease the blow, Tamaki absent-mindedly patted her head. Although it only seemed to hammer in the point more and more. Snickering, the twins whispered to each other as tears came to the ladies that had come to watch the show. This was going lovely.

"Beautiful, the neanderthals thrived for centuries." Tamaki squeezed past both Haruhi and me to make a steady pace in front of us, his eyes feverish. "Until a bigger and better human came along and killed all of them off!"

I pressed a hand to my temple, suddenly feeling a dull pounding start at the base of my skull as Tamaki continued.

"DIVERSITY!" _What the hell was he going on about now?_ "That is what women want. That is what our lovely _les fleurs du jardin_ need."

 _Flowers of the garden._ My teeth sunk into my tongue as I watched a girl keel over from one intense gaze from Tamaki. He was of French descent. I should have known that he would know French. Why was it so irritating that I shared that in common with him? Suddenly, violet eyes sparkled across the room from me, looking confident and smug.

"Did you catch that, Princess Houshakuji? My love? My one sun?" Was he talking about the French?

"You did very well, Mister Suoh." I bit out, trying to restrain my rising temper as I heard a deep chuckle from my right. _Kyoya_.

Fingers curled around mine, drawing my attention to the blonde french man now kneeling at my feet. "Please… Call me Tamaki."

For a moment, I held my tongue, taking in the slender man. He was a complete question mark. And his background was mysteriously shrouded for one of the wealthiest men in Japan at the moment. My eyes drifted briefly to Kyoya, catching his knowing smile and sharp gaze. Odd how _all_ of the members of this specific club were the hardest to dig up anything more than general information. But knowing that much would have to be my only card for the moment.

My eyes flicked back sharply to the man at my feet, running quickly over his face. _René Tamaki Richard de Grantaine Suoh :_ Only heir to his father although he had been mysteriously absent from the man's side for the first bit of his life, ferreted away in a mansion in France. What was even more surprising was the fact that he wouldn't be considered the legitimate heir if any other child was given from his father's marriage. He had been 14 when he had come to Japan…

I blinked, coming back to myself at a sharp cough from my right. Kyoya was watching me again.

"Princess?" Tamaki's eyes glittered from his place on the floor.

At the age of 14, it would be a wonder to see what his years in France, away from his father's business had done to him. Most of the people in this room were raised to be heirs from the cradle.

I gave him a warm smile, bringing a hand up to pat his head.

"I am happy to have someone that shares my language… Tamaki," I said softly, flipping over to French as his eyes widened.

"Miss Houshakuji." I turned at the sharp voice, gently disengaging myself from Tamaki to face the murderous face of Kyoya. What was he so mad about? His gaze was thunderous as he stared down at me, gently plucking the money from my hand to lean down and place it back in my bag.

"What are you-?"

"I'm afraid that you won't be able to speak with Tamaki and Haruhi today." It was odd how much he seemed to loom over me. Instinctively, my hackles raised and I straightened, tipping back my chin as he gave me a thin smile. "We've decided to close early today in favor of a private event."

A confused mumble began in the back of the club as the other hosts tried to soothe their guests as they ushered them to the door. My eyes narrowed on the tall man in front of me. That seemed a bit too simple. And a bit too convenient. Kyoya Ootori seemed to be protecting this group with a fierceness that I had rarely seen in elite. If I had gotten alone time with both members of the host club - particularly the next heir to the Suoh legacy - I may have been able to find a way to wiggle my family into his graces.

"I almost forgot about Shiro!" Tamaki rushed about the place, paying his dues as he escorted his clients towards the door.

"You're the one that organized this whole thing," Haruhi grumbled, staring around in obvious irritation.

It was best to be patient when dealing with other elite families. They knew the game much too well to be fooled by restlessness.

"Well." I tucked my hair behind my ears, lowering my shoulders as I straightened out my skirts and set my face into a smile. "It's a bit of a shame but I'm sure that I'll be seeing them alone… Sometime or another."

The last bit was for Kyoya's ears only, a final jab. It was useless to play dumb when he obviously knew that I was up to something. Flicking my hair over my shoulders, I turned to leave with the rest of the clients.

"Oh, Princess Houshakuji." It was Tamaki. His eyes were warm and open as he hovered over me. In a way, he reminded me of an over-eager labrador, trying to please everyone at once. "We're going to be staying at a resort this weekend. I would love to see your sister and yourself attend."

"Tamaki-" I smiled at Kyoya's sharp tone, ignoring it as I cut him off quickly, switching over to French.

"What resort?"

"I'm sure you've heard about the new Ootori resort." My smile grew, my eyes flicking over the meet Kyoya's clearly agitated ones as he tried to follow the exchange. It was a shame that his French didn't seem up to par to match a native speakers speed. All he really caught was his last name. I grinned, catching his eyes mischievously.

"Oh, I know about the Ootori resort." I nodded to the tall, French man. "My sister and I would love to be there."

With that, I gave him a smooth curtsy and headed towards the door. _Houshakuji: 1. Ootori: 0._

* * *

"KO!" I blinked, zoning back into the conversation as Renge threw an orange at my head. It had been a full hour since I had told her about Tamaki's invitation and she was still blabbering on about what character she was going to dress as. If she didn't shut up soon, I would fall asleep right there at the dinner table with Mrs. Mercier watching.

"Sorry?" I quipped in French, picking up my manners as I straightened. It had been a long time since I had sat at a traditional Japanese table and my knees were aching.

"You weren't even listening." Renge's cheeks puffed out, her eyes snapping angrily as she glared across the table at me.

"Yes, I was." In vain, I struggled to come up with any bit of the conversation that she had been going on about. I remained silent. I couldn't come up with a single thing.

"Well…" Renge drifted off, her eyes going dreamy as she stared off into the distance. "It doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is Kyoya… Kyoya in a bathing suit…"

I spluttered, choking on the tea that I was drinking. Kyoya in a bathing suit? I hacked, curling around the table at the unwanted images. _Jesus_.

"What?" I finally forced out, meeting her eyes with effort.

"Kyoya will be there. Maybe I'll finally be able to win him over this time." My heart froze, my mouth going dry. Dread creeped along my spine. Why did I feel like someone had just punched me in the face? Silently, I ran an eye over my sisters dreamy expression and then hastily turned them to my lap. I felt sick.

"Maybe," I forced out, the words of agreement feeling sour on my tongue.

* * *

 _A/N: As always, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and that you come around for the next one. Oh, and also leave me a little review if it's not too much trouble. It gets a little lonely without you guys._

 _Je suis dé…: She was starting to say that she was sorry._

 _Quelqu'un m'aider!: Someone help me!_

 _Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conte Grand Cru: The most expensive wine in the world._

 _Es fleurs du jardin: Flowe_ _rs of the garden._


End file.
